Paralympic Flame United at Stoke Mandeville

28 August 2012, 06:00

Four Flames from across the UK come together later to form the Paralympic Flame at a special ceremony at Stoke Mandeville Stadium.

2,500 people, including Locog Chairman Lord Coe and Paralympian Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, are among the invited guests.

Stoke Mandeville is considered the home of the Paralympic movement after neurologist Sir Ludwig Guttman organised physical activities to boost treatment for people with spinal injuries in the 1940s before setting up the first Stoke Mandeville Games - the forerunner of the Paralympics.

Tonight flames from Cardiff, Belfast, Edinburgh and London will be joined in a cauldron at the centre of the stadium before the start of the 24-hour torch relay.

It will be carried 92 miles by 580 torchbearers working in teams of five to the Olympic Stadium to open the Games on Wednesday.

Around 8-thousand people are expected to watch the event on big screens in Market Square and Kingsbury in Aylesbury from 5.30pm.

The two-hour event will include inspirational video, speeches and a performance by X-Factor winner Joe McElderry before the flames are joined together.

At 8pm torchbearers will go on a lap of the track before making their way through Aylesbury and towards london.